Isaiah 1
1 The visions of Isaiah son of Amoz, that he has seen concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw, concerning Judah and Jerusalem, —in the days of Uzziah Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah—kings of Judah.
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For YHWH has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up sons, And they transgressed against Me.
Hear O heavens, And give ear, O earth, for Yahweh, hath spoken: —Sons, have I brought up, and advanced, And, they, have rebelled against me.
3 An ox has known its owner, And a donkey the crib of its master, Israel has not known, My people have not understood.”
An ox knoweth, his owner, And an ass his masters crib, —Israel, doth not know, My people doth not consider.
4 Oh, sinning nation, a people heavy [with] iniquity, A seed of evildoers, sons—corrupters! They have forsaken YHWH, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have gone away backward.
Alas! a nation—committing sin, a people—burdened with iniquity, a seed—practising wickedness, sons—acting corruptly. They have forsaken Yahweh despised the Holy One of Israel, —Are estranged and gone back.
5 Why are you struck anymore? You add apostasy! Every head has become diseased, and every heart [is] sick.
Why should ye be smitten any more? Ye would again turn aside! The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faint:
6 From the sole of the foot—to the head, There is no soundness in it, Wound, and bruise, and fresh striking! They have not been closed nor bound, Nor have they softened with ointment.
From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is in it no soundness, Bruise and stripe and newly-made wound, —They have not been pressed out, nor bound up, nor soothed with oil.
7 Your land [is] a desolation, your cities burned with fire, Your ground—strangers are consuming it before you, And a desolation as overthrown by strangers!
Your country—is a desolation, Your cities—are consumed with fire, —Your soil—right before your eyes, foreigners are devouring it, And it is a desolation a very overthrow by foreigners;
8 And the daughter of Zion has been left, As a shelter in a vineyard, As a lodge in a place of cucumbers—as a city besieged.
And left is the Daughter of Zion, Like a hut in a vineyard, —Like a lodge in a gourd-plot Like a city besieged.
9 Unless YHWH of Hosts had left a remnant to us, Shortly—we had been as Sodom, We had been like to Gomorrah!
If, Yahweh of hosts, had not left us a very small remnant, Like Sodom, had we become, Gomorrah, had we resembled.
10 Hear the word of YHWH, you rulers of Sodom, Give ear to the Law of our God, you people of Gomorrah,
Hear the word of Yahweh, ye rulers of Sodom, —Give ear to the instruction of our God, ye people of Gomorrah: —
11 “Why the abundance of your sacrifices to Me?” says YHWH, “I have been satiated [with] burnt-offerings of rams, And fat of fatlings; And blood of bullocks, and lambs, And I have not desired male goats.
Of what use to me, is your multitude of sacrifices: Saith Yahweh: I am sated with ascending-offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts, —In the blood of bulls and young rams and he-goats, have I no pleasure.
12 When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this of your hand, To trample My courts?
When ye enter to see my face, Who hath required this at your hand trampling my courts?
13 Do not add to bring in a vain present, Incense—it [is] an abomination to Me, New moon, and Sabbath, calling of convocation! Do not render iniquity—and a restraint!
Ye shall not again bring in an empty, present, Incense, an abomination, is that unto me! New moon, and sabbath calling an assembly—I cannot endure, iniquity and sacred festival!
14 My soul has hated your new moons and your set seasons, They have been on Me for a burden, I have been weary of bearing.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul, hateth, —They have become unto me a burden I am too weary to bear:
15 And in your spreading forth your hands, I hide My eyes from you, Also when you increase prayer, I do not hear, Your hands have been full of blood.
Even when ye spread forth your open palms, I hide mine eyes from you; Yea, though ye multiply prayers, I am not hearkening, —Your hands, with deeds of blood, are filled.
16 Wash yourselves, make yourselves pure, Turn aside the evil of your doings, from before My eyes, Cease to do evil, learn to do good.
Wash you make you clean, Put away the wickedness of your doings from before mine eyes, —Cease to do evil.
17 Seek judgment, make the oppressed blessed, Judge the fatherless, strive [for] the widow.
Learn to do well—Seek justice, Correct the oppressor, —Vindicate the fatherless, Plead the cause of the widow,
18 Now come, and we settle this,” says YHWH, “If your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow, If they are red as crimson, they will be as wool!
Come, I pray you, and let us settle the dispute Saith Yahweh, —Though your sins be found like scarlet, As snow, shall they be made white, Though they appear red like crimson, As wool, shall they become.
19 If you are willing, and have listened, The good of the land you consume,
If ye be willing—and hearken Of the good of the land, shall ye eat;
20 And if you refuse, and have rebelled, You are consumed [by] the sword,” For the mouth of YHWH has spoken.
But, if ye refuse and rebel, With the sword, shall ye be devoured, For, the mouth of Yahweh, hath spoken it.
21 How has a faithful city become a harlot? I have filled it [with] judgment, Righteousness lodges in it—now murderers.
How hath she become unchaste!—The city that was Faithful, —Full of justice, Righteousness lodged in her, But, now, murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross, Your drink defiled with water.
Thy silver, hath become dross, —Thy wine, weakened with water;
23 Your princes [are] apostates, and companions of thieves, Everyone loving a bribe, and pursuing rewards, They do not judge the fatherless, And the plea of the widow does not come to them.
Thy rulers, are unruly, and companions of thieves, Every one of the people, loveth a bribe, and runneth after rewards, —The fatherless, they do not vindicate, And, the plea of the widow, reacheth them not.
24 Therefore—a declaration of the Lord—YHWH of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: “Oh, I relieve Myself from My adversaries, And avenge Myself against My enemies,
Therefore, Declareth the Lord Yahweh of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, —Alas! I must appease me on mine adversaries, I must avenge me on mine enemies
25 And I turn back My hand on you, And I refine your dross as purity, And I turn aside all your tin,
That I may turn my hand against thee, And smelt away, as with potash, thy dross, And remove all thine alloy;
26 And I give back your judges as at the first, And your counselors as in the beginning, After this you are called, A city of righteousness—a faithful city.”
That I may restore thy Judges as at the first, and thy Counsellors as at the beginning, —After that, shalt thou be called Righteous citadel, Trusty city, —
27 Zion is redeemed in judgment, And her captivity in righteousness.
Zion, with justice shall be redeemed, —And her returning ones, with righteousness;
28 And the destruction of transgressors and sinners [is] together, And those forsaking YHWH are consumed.
And the downfall of transgressors and sinners, shall be, together, —And, they who forsake Yahweh, shall be brought to an end;
29 For [men] are ashamed because of the oaks That you have desired, And you are confounded because of the gardens That you have chosen.
For they shall turn pale on account of the oaks which ye desired, —And ye shall blush on account of the gardens which ye had chosen;
30 For you are as an oak whose leaf is fading, And as a garden that has no water.
For ye shall be as an oak with its leaf faded, And as a garden that hath no, water;
31 And the strong has been for tow, And his work for a spark, And both of them have burned together, And there is none quenching!
Then shall the strong one become tow, And his work a spark, —And they shall both blaze together And there be none to quench the fire.
